Preschoolers in the western Japanese prefecture of Nara have gotten a taste of life as Buddhist priests.
Children at a nursery school and a kindergarten on the grounds of Saidaiji Temple in the city of Nara go through the experience every year. The aim is to teach them to be considerate and grateful to other people.
About 70 children, clad in black-and-white priest garments, filed into the temple’s main hall on Wednesday.
Following an adult priest, they read aloud a scripture known as the Heart Sutra. Then the children placed the scripture at a Buddhist statue and prayed by putting their palms together.
They later moved to another hall and used dustcloths to wipe the floor, railings and other sections of the building.
A 5-year-old girl said she enjoyed the cleaning. A 6-year-old boy said his cloth turned black all over after the scrubbing.
